苏格兰文化

◆The Scottish Economy

电子工业

The principle elements of Scotland’s economy today are the electronics industry, accounting for over 50% of Scotland’s manufactured exports.

货币

The Scottish banks issued their own banknotes, these are legal tender throughout Britain, but are sometimes regarded with suspicion by traders in England.

Whisky industry raises a glass to productivity figures

According to a survey, workers in the whisky industry are six times as productive as the Scottish average, and the sector now earns as much for the Scottish economy as tourism,

and the "total impact" of Scotch whisky can be calculated at almost pound(s)4 billion a year in gross added value. It found the industry has an annual turnover of pound(s)6.4bn, and spends more than pound(s)1.1bn on the supply chain in Scotland.

◆Scotch Whisky

History : Whisky wasn’t always Scotland’s top wine. In the 17th and 18th centuries, for example, the favored drink was claret(红酒). Later, tax on wine put an end to its popularity, and cause the old illegal stills to go public and developed the high value-added Whisky industry that exists today. Production:

（流程：All scotch whiskeys are distilled from just a single grain which is malted. As the name suggests, the whisky comes from a single distillery. Blended malts are the ones that come from multi-distillery. Like any other Scotch whisky, the single malt Scotch whisky is distilled in Scotland and is then allowed to mature in oak casks for a minimum of three years.）

麦芽威士忌（Malt Whisky）是以已发芽的大麦作为原料，经发酵后采用壶式蒸馏器(Pot still)蒸馏，再经过适当的陈年后制造而成。

Classification :

Single Malt Whisky ;

There are many different types of whisky. Single malt Scotch whisky is one of the types of malt whiskeys. It is one of the most popular sprits drunk today. And this spirit is believed to be made best in the country of Scotland. Over the years many countries have tried to copy the success of Scotland’s whisky but to no avail. Blendetd whisky

Blended whisky is nothing but the product of a blend of just different types of whisky.

The Bagpipes

(Now the sound we’ve heared is the bagpipes’)

There is no doubt that today the “sound”of Scotland is the bagpipes, and has been so for centuries.

The bagpipes is mainly played for military or social events.

Pipe competition.

Competition is a primary focus for many pipe bands throughout the world. Every year, mainly in the period from spring to autumn, pipe bands around the world compete against each other at various venues, often at Highland festivals. A typical season for many competing pipe bands might include ten or more of these competitions. Europe (especially the UK and Ireland), North America, Australia, and New Zealand have active competitive pipe band communities, but there are competing bands from throughout the world.

(幻灯片上)This Pipe Band is the winner of six W orld Pipe Band Championships in the past decade.